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AfloatDigi 2018 CHMarine SafetySection

Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
Clifden RNLI’s Fisherman’s Friend comes alongside the stricken fishing vessel
#RNLI - Clifden RNLI’s all-weather Mersey Class lifeboat Fisherman's Friend was launched at 1.30pm on Saturday (1 July) to go to the assistance of a fishing vessel adrift six miles off Slyne Head in Co Galway. The 11m vessel had…
David Maguire, Nick Bowie, Lorraine Galvin, her daughter Lauren and Cllr Jim Moore Mayor at the Wexford Maritime Festival this past weekend
#RNLI - Two volunteer lifeboat crew with Wexford RNLI have received the charity’s Excellence in Volunteering Award in recognition for their hard work and dedication to lifesaving. Lorraine Galvin and David Maguire were presented with their framed certificates during the…
Coastguard Tows Cruiser To Safety On Lough Derg After Engine & Anchor Troubles
#Rescue - A cruiser with four on board was aided by the Irish Coast Guard after it suffered engine trouble and snapped its anchor line in poor weather on Lough Derg yesterday (Sunday 2 July). As BreakingNews.ie reports, the alarm…
The pleasure craft alongside the RNLI lifeboat
The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat was called out at 12.16pm this afternoon to go to the aid of a 17–foot pleasure boat that got into difficulties off Coolmain, east of the Old Head of Kinsale in West Cork. The…
Portaferry’s inshore lifeboat arrives on scene to rescue the women and children cut off by the tide
#RNLI - Portaferry RNLI was called out yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 28 June) to rescue a group of four people who had become stranded on an island at the north end of Strangford Lough. The two women and two children had…
Larne inshore lifeboat was launched following reports of an over-turned kayak at Carnfunnock
The most recent launch took place on Friday last, 23 June at 11pm. Larne's all-weather lifeboat Dr John McSparron and inshore lifeboat Terry launched on request of Belfast Coastguard to reports of two overdue kayakers. Both boats completed a search…
Ballycotton RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat was on standby for yesterday's callout
#RNLI - Ballycotton RNLI launched at around 10.30am yesterday morning (Monday 26 June) to aid a kitesurfer who had got into difficulty in Ballycotton Bay, Co Cork. The all-weather lifeboat remained on standby as the inshore lifeboat headed to the…
Fifth Bangor Bay Sea Kayak Race Raises Funds For Local Lifeboat
#RNLI - During the Sea Bangor Festival over the weekend, Bangor RNLI was delighted to welcome Jackie Patton of Ballyholme Yacht Club and Robert Montgomery from the Belfast Kayak Club to receive a cheque for £1,700 raised for the lifeboat…
Wicklow RNLI’s inshore lifeboat launching to the windsurfer in difficulty
#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI’s inshore lifeboat was launched at 1.48pm on Saturday afternoon (24 June) after a member of the public reported a windsurfer in difficulty off Silver Strand, three miles south of Wicklow Harbour. The lifeboat with three crew…
Two Medevacs For Clifden Lifeboat Since Friday
#RNLI - Clifden RNLI has carried out two medical evacuations from the island of Inishbofin off Connemara since Friday (23 June). The pagers first sounded at 11.15am on Friday in response to a call for the medevac of an elderly woman…
Mariners Beware Of Seabed Obstruction Off South Coast
#MarineWarning - PSE Kinsale Energy Ltd advises that, that following a recent survey of the Kinsale Head Gas Field pipeline, it has identified a possible seabed obstruction off the South Coast of Ireland. The nature of the obstruction, south-east of…
Interim Report Into Prawn Trawler Fatality Off Slea Head
#MCIB - The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) is continuing its inquiry into the death of a fisherman who went overboard from a prawn fishing trawler off Slea Head a year ago. The interim report released today (Friday 23 June)…
Heatwave Sees Big Jump In Coastguard Callouts Nationwide
#Coastguard - The Irish Coast Guard has reported a “surge” of calls with a whopping 76 incidents nationwide over the last five days alone, according to The Irish Times. Average temperatures in the mid 20s have brought more people to…
Clifden RNLI's inshore lifeboat taking the solo yacht under tow
#RNLI - Clifden RNLI prepared for launch at 7.16pm on Tuesday evening (20 June) to assist a yacht gone aground in the Clifden Bay area. Helm David Barry, along with volunteer crew Ian Shanahan, Brian Ward and Owen Hayes on…
Skerries RNLI recovering their Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat
#RNLI - Skerries RNLI volunteers were tasked on three separate occasions last weekend with the pagers sounding once on Saturday (17 June) and twice on Sunday (18 June). Shortly after 3pm on Sunday afternoon, Dublin Coast Guard received reports that…
Lough Ree's inshore lifeboat The Eric Rowse
#RNLI - Lough Ree RNLI assisted one man and two women after their boat broke down at the north end of Lough Ree last night (Monday 19 June). The volunteer lifeboat crew was alerted by the Irish Coast Guard in…

Every Year Ireland's Search & Rescue Services deliver emergency life saving work on our seas, lakes and rivers.

Ireland's Water Safety Agencies work hard to provide us with the information we need to keep safe, while enjoying all manner of water based activities.

There's no better fun than getting out on the water but being afloat is a responsibility we all need to take seriously.

These pages detail the work of the rescue agencies. We also aim to promote safety standards among pleasure boaters, and by doing so, prevent, as far as possible, the loss of life at sea and on inland waters. If you have ideas for our pages we'd love to hear from you. Please email us at [email protected]

Think Before You Sink - Wear a Lifejacket

Accidents can happen fast on water and there may not be time to reach for a lifejacket in an emergency therefore don't just carry a lifejacket - wear it; if it's not on you, it can't save your life.

Irish Water Safety's Safe Boating Alert:

Check condition of boat and equipment, hull, engine, fuel, tools, torch.

Check the weather forecast for the area.

Check locally concerning dangerous currents and strong tides.

Do not drink alcohol while setting out or during your trip.

Carry an alternative means of propulsion e.g. sails and oars or motor and oars.

Carry a first aid kit on board and distress signals (at least two parachute distress rockets, two red hand flares).

Carry a fire extinguisher, a hand bailer or bucket with lanyard and an anchor with rope attached.

Carry marine radio or some means of communication with shore.

Do not overload the boat - this will make it unstable.

Do not set out unless accompanied by an experienced person.

Leave details of your planned trip with someone ashore - including departure and arrival times, description of boat, names of persons on board, etc.

Wear a Lifejacket at all times.

Keep an eye on the weather - seek shelter in good time.

In Marine Emergencies, call 999 or 112 and ask for Marine Rescue.

Lifejackets Checklist

Ensure Cartridges have not been punctured and are secured firmly.

Ensure all zips, buckles, fasteners and webbing straps are functioning correctly and adjusted to fit the user.

Check that fitted lights are operating correctly.

Ensure that Automatic Inflation devices are fully serviced and in date.

Check that the valve or lifejacket is not leaking.